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This invention relates to music-based teaching systems, and more particularly to methods and kits for encouraging developmentally delayed or disabled children to interact through music and music-related activities.
Music has been used for several years in working with children with severe developmental delays and disabilities such as autism. My own experiences in this connection began with my conducting xe2x80x9csing-alongxe2x80x9d sessions with groups of such children, playing my guitar and singing children""s and folk songs while encouraging participation by the group. This developed into my providing the children with small song books and later in my experimenting with recording performances of several of the songs on a tape cassette and playing back the recorded songs while encouraging group participation through use of the song books.
The impact these music sessions have had on the children was quite noticeable, and I was curious to learn of the experiences of other professionals using music in working with this population of people with extreme disabilities. I chose to research the topic in partial fulfillment for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Special Education, and my project report entitled xe2x80x9cUse of Music in the Instruction of Children with Severe and Profound Developmental Delays and Disabilitiesxe2x80x9d was submitted on Nov. 11, 1998 to California State University, Fresno, School of Education and Human Development. Although this project report has not been published nor has it otherwise been made available to the public, a portion of the report is of interest to the background of the present invention in that it describes specific curricula concerning music therapy or music instruction offering goals of attending, responding, imitating and/or self initiation by developmentally delayed or disabled children.
In one curriculum for students with severe mental and physical impairments, Barringer and Liesman (1982) described a variety of activities including several based on music which were designed to stimulate gross motor movement. One example of an activity used the song xe2x80x9cShakexe2x80x9d by Best of Buddha. While listening to the song, the children were to shake any part of their body they could. Another example used the song xe2x80x9cStreamersxe2x80x9d by Hap Palmer. Arms or legs were tied with crepe paper streamers and the children were encouraged to move them in rhythm with the song. The objectives for both of these activities were to have students respond to the sensory stimuli with a change in facial expression and/or body position and to have the students respond with a gross motor pattern when presented with music stimuli.
Barringer and Kosal-Smither (1985) presented an activity guide, designed for use with a large group of students with severe developmental delays. It offered a thematic approach to planning, and included activities with cooking, creative movement, and music, with music again being an important part of their offering. Their music activities were designed to teach cognitive, psychomotor and affective objectives. Music selections were chosen to allow work on the students"" instructional objectives. A sample lesson plan included a hello song, a motor song (any song to encourage motor movements), an expressive song (to encourage sound-making), a receptive song (listen and perform the required task), a one-step command song, an academic song, an emotional or social song, and a goodbye song. It was recommended that the hello and goodbye songs remain the same for every session. They chose their songs from various albums of children""s and popular music. Each of the ten complete music lesson plans consisted of eight recommended songs from various albums by well-known recording artists. The lessons were designed for children with at least good receptive communication skills and motor control, and assumed accessibility to numerous recordings.
Another curriculum, this one specifically offering music techniques for use with students with severe and profound disabilities, was developed by Pedigo (1986). She offered four levels of participation: awareness, attention, imitation, and self-initiation. Precise definitions of the response levels and clear, simple to follow activity plans were offered. Pedigo based her project upon the observation that students with severe and profound handicaps can learn important skills through music. In her introduction, she stated the belief that it is apparent that this population of students can respond at more complex levels than once though possible. The purpose of her activities was not to teach music, but to use music as a tool to teach other useful behaviors. Examples of some of the behaviors in each category sought are eye contact for awareness, reaching toward and/or touching the instrument for attending, duplication of the teacher""s motion for imitation, and beginning or originating a movement or action for self-initiation. She too, believed in the use of music as a strong motivator.
An earlier guide to the use of the arts in populations with severe and profound disabilities was offered by Kohn and Williams (1980). The Kohn and Williams arts activity guide, including the category of music, aimed at three levels of development: awareness, imitation, and self-initiation. While the document did not report results of testing, it did offer a multitude of clear, concise, and interesting activities, including a substantial number with a musical motif.
These authors have presented curricula which use music as a tool in the attainment of other goals. Pedigo (1986) used music to teach a variety of useful behaviors such as eye contact and attention to the instructor or task. The Barringer and Liesman (1982) curriculum used music to develop gross motor skills. The Barringer and Kosal-Smither (1985) curriculum used music to teach cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills. The Kohn and Williams (1980) arts curriculum and Pedigo""s (1986) music curriculum were developed to meet a variety of cognitive levels. Each one advocates the use of music in special education for the severely disabled.
The publications of the authors referred to above, each of which is identified below, are incorporated herein by reference as indicative of the background of the present invention and as illustrating the state of the art:
Barringer, M. and Liesman, C., Stimulating our Senses: A Summer Enrichment Curriculum of Sensory Experiences for Severely Mentally and Multiply Impaired Students. Detroit, MI: Wayne County Intermediate School District. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 224 210) (1982)
Barringer, M. and Kosal-Smither, C., Really Together Now! A Resource and Activity Guide for the Developmentally Disabled. Molehills out of Mountains. Washington, D.C.: Department of Education, (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 260 524) (1985)
Kohn, M. and Williams, J., Integrative Arts Activities Guide for the Severely and Profoundly Handicapped. Washington, D.C.: National Committee, Arts for the Handicapped. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 232 370) (1980)
Pedigo, J., Music Technigues with Severely/Profoundly Handicapped Students, Indianapolis, Ind.: Very Special Arts of Indiana, Indianapolis. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 277 195) (1986)
Reflecting upon my own experiences and the various curricula discussed in the literature as noted above, it occurred to me that further development of music-based curricula and materials were needed for better engaging children with severe developmental delays and disabilities to participate in activities through the sharing of music. Of specific concern to me was the creation of methods and materials for permitting a generally non-communicative child to have a choice as to which song he or she would like to experience, and for encouraging participation in activities through the sharing of music, and in so doing teaching the disabled child some measure of subjects including reading, counting and number recognition, group skills, interpersonal skills, leisure skills and critical thinking skills, while at the same time permitting the child to experience music for its own sake.
The teaching method of my invention attempts to accomplish these goals, according to one aspect thereof, by making extensive use of an illustrated song book and individual sound recordings of appropriate songs with lyrics, and tying the pages of the song book with the individual sound recordings of the songs by the use of icons or graphic images representing respective ones of the songs. The method permits the students to find the appropriate page in their song book for following along as a selected song is being played, while also permitting the students to have a choice in the selection of songs to be experienced. At the same time, the method and materials of the present invention provide the teacher with suggestions of activities for engaging the children, such activities being specific to the selected song being played.
Cards having printed thereon icons or graphic representations of the various recorded songs may be utilized in practicing certain aspects of the method of the present invention. Picture cards have been previously used in teaching systems for developmentally delayed or disabled children, such as the well-known Picture Exchange Communication System (or xe2x80x9cPECSxe2x80x9d), wherein a disabled child is taught to give a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner (a trainer or teacher) in exchange for that item. As will be appreciated from the description herein of the present invention, the manner in which the present invention utilizes pictures or icon cards differs significantly from the teaching of PECS.
A preferred embodiment of the method of teaching disabled students, such as children with developmental delays and disabilities such as autism, through music in accordance with the present invention, comprises: providing each student with a song book including pages each having printed thereon the title of a different song of a plurality of songs, the lyrics of that song, and an icon representing that song from a plurality of icons respectively representing the songs; providing sound recordings of performances of such songs the lyrics of which are printed on the song book pages; providing a plurality of icon cards each having thereon a one of such icons; selecting one of the icon cards for identifying a song represented by the icon on the selected icon card; displaying to the students the selected icon card for permitting each student to find the page in his or her song book having thereon the title and lyrics of the identified song by matching the icon on the displayed icon card to one of the icons on the pages of his or her song book; and playing back the sound recording of the song identified by the icon on the selected icon card. During the playing back of the sound recording, the students may view the page having the matched icon and are encouraged to sing along to the recording being played back.
In one preferred manner of practicing this method, a teacher is provided with an activity book including first pages respectively having printed thereon the title and lyrics of such songs, the activity book including second pages in respective correspondence with the first pages and having printed thereon suggested activities that may be implemented in connection with a performance of the song the lyrics of which are printed on a corresponding one of the first pages. The teacher selects an activity from the second page of the activity book corresponding to the first page having thereon the lyrics of the identified song, and the teacher thereupon implements the selected activity with the students during the recording playing back step.
The provided sound recordings preferably comprise individual recordings of respective ones of the songs, with the packaging of each of the individual recordings being marked with the icon representing the song on that particular recording. One of the students may match the icon on the displayed icon card with an icon on the packaging of a one of the individual recordings for identifying the recording to be played back. The student may then cause the identified sound recording to be played back during the playing back step. Alternatively, the student may hand the identified sound recording to a teacher, and the teacher may cause the identified sound recording to be played back during the playing back step.
The present method of teaching disabled students through music may be practiced on an individual basis with a disabled student, the method comprising: providing the student with a song book including pages each having printed thereon the title of a one song of a plurality of songs, the lyrics of that song, and a one icon representing that song of a plurality of icons respectively representing such songs; providing a plurality of sound recordings of performances of such songs the lyrics of which are printed on the song book pages, the packaging of each of the recordings marked with the icon representing the song on that recording; the student matching the icon on a one of the pages of the song book to the icon on the packaging of a one of the recordings; and playing back the recording having the matched icon. The student may cause the sound recording having the matched icon to be played back during the playing back step. Alternatively, the student may hand the sound recording having the matched icon to a teacher, and the teacher may cause such sound recording to be played back during the playing back step.
The present invention further includes a kit of materials for practicing the method of the invention and variations thereof. A preferred embodiment of the kit comprises the combination of: at least one song book including pages each having printed thereon the title of a one song of a plurality of songs, the lyrics of that song, and a one icon representing that song of a plurality of icons respectively representing such songs; sound recordings of performances of the songs the lyrics of which are printed on the pages; and a plurality of icon cards each having thereon a one of the icons. The sound recordings may comprise a master recording of performances of at least some and preferably all of such songs. Preferably, however, the sound recordings comprise individual recordings of respective ones of the songs, the packaging of each of the individual recordings being marked with the icon representing the song on that individual recording. The individual recordings may be originally provided as part of the kit, or they may be produced through duplicating the sound recordings of the individual song performances on the master recording. It is preferred that the icons on the song book pages, the icons on the packaging of the individual sound recordings, and the icons on the icon cards, are printed such that they are consistently identifiable as icons by the students. Each one of the icons on the song book pages is preferably contained within an identifiable graphic border, and each one of the icons on the packaging of the individual recordings and on the icon cards are contained within a graphic border similar to the graphic borders on the song book pages.
The kit preferably further includes an activity book including first pages (or song book pages) respectively having printed thereon the title and lyrics of the songs, the activity book including second pages (or activity guide pages) in respective correspondence with the first pages and having printed thereon suggested activities that may be implemented in connection with the performances of the song the lyrics of which are printed on a corresponding one of the first pages. The pages of the children""s song books and the first pages of the activity book preferably have printed thereon illustrations corresponding in location and context to the song lyrics.
A kit that may be used with the present invention, in connection with an individual disabled student, may comprise: a plurality of sound recordings of performances of songs, each of the sound recordings having packaging marked with an icon representing the song on that recording; and a song book including pages each having printed thereon the title of a one of such songs, the lyrics of that song and the icon representing that song. The pages of the song book may be as previously described, and the kit may include a plurality of icon cards as well as an activity book.